Job Discussion Forums

[Flanagan]

Hi,

I've been a fan of this site for a few years, and this is my first post.

I'm seeking information on university and college jobs outside the United States. I have a doctorate in English and currently teach in an American community college.

My current job has many pluses, and I would be hesitant to give it up. Still, I sometimes find myself wondering if my degree and experience might help me to land an interesting position overseas. Does anyone have an idea of possibilities that I might look into?

By the way, I have taught in Asia in the past, and I completed a CELTA program about tens years ago.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

yrs.,
Flanagan

[saint57]

It seems to me like most people go the other way. Personally, if I had a secure job at a community college in the states I wouldn't give it up to go abroad. I guess it's ok if you're confident that you can get a similar position when you want to return home after two or three years.

[White_Elephant]

Questions:

1. Are you adjunct faculty?
2. Is there any possibility of getting tenure where you are at?
3. Why not look into universities with a tenure track?
4. Do you get summer vacations where you can get a couple of months off to travel?
5. What are your long-term career goals?

Personally if I were you, I would look into advancing towards the status of Dean etc. If overseas is really what you want, look into the Middle East where the top jobs pay the best in the world. Note: living overseas (in any country) is not easy.

[Flanagan]

Hi and thanks for your responses.

My job is full-time, and I do have good benefits, including time off in the summer if I choose not to take on extra classes. Chances are, I'll stay put, knowing that my job, all in all, has more pros than cons.

At the same time, there are some drawbacks. I teach composition, so the grading load can be quite intense, as are other responsibilities (committees and such).

I've thought about looking into universities and colleges in Singapore, Taiwan, or Hong Kong, though other places are certainly possible. Mostly, I'm mulling the possibilities and am curious about whether anyone has found a "dream job" in higher ed overseas. Good school, stimulating environment, reasonable salary . . . any advice?

Thanks for your thoughts and insights.

Flanagan

[MELEE]

I have a great job, but I don't have a PhD in English, so I'm not sure if it would be a great job to you, probably not better than you're current job. I work at a small engineering college. The students are required to take English. They recognize the importance of English for their future, but they have a lot of work in their other subjects, a lot, so they don't put in the time necessary to really learn the language. The university is a public university, but it operates under a new system, designed to counter the typical Mexican public universities, so it has some peculiarities, like the professors are required to be on campus 8 hours a day and we actually clock in and out. We teach 3 fifty-minute classes that meet 5 days a week. Most of the students come in with no English, and our exit criteria is pre-intermediate (the cambridge PET exam) so the majority of the classes are elementary and pre-intermediate. There are some students who choose to continue studying English to higher levels, but that only accounts for 2 or 3 groups out of 45. For me that's fine, I really enjoy teaching the lower levels. The Language department is made up of 17 professors, 15 who are native English speakers from various English speaking countries. The two Mexican professors are not English teachers, one is a Spanish teacher, who gives Spanish classes for the English teachers and other foreign faculty at the university, the other is specialist in Inginous Language and is making a corpus of the Mixtec language. The department is congenial and supportive, though we don't get as much support from the university administration as I might like. To them English is an extra, not an essential part of the curriculum. Another draw back for you is we only have 5 weeks paid vacation, the summer session is not optional.

What I do like, is that I have enough time in the day to do all my work, I take nothing home. I have enough time to develope action research projects. We get paid well by local standards, and the higher your degree the higher the pay. We get good benefits, I have kids and the benefits includes free day care! After six years of working here you get a year paid sabbatical to do what every what want, even if what you want to do is lay on the beach and due nothing. I took my first sabbatical in 2004 and used it to have my family. Once you pass the first one, you can take half year sabbaticals every 3 years if you don't want to wait for six.

Oh and I don't know what part of the US you are in, but the climate here is perfect, never too hot, never too cold. I love that, though I do miss the fall colors. And I happen to love Mexican food and music, if you don't, this would not be your dream job!

[Flanagan]

Hi, and thanks for your in-depth response. Your job does sound appealing, not least because of the climate and the generally good relations among faculty members. I'm sure that the punch clock isn't especially popular, but that's probably more than compensated for by not having to take any work home. My c.c. job can easily be a seven-day-a-week commitment (though, admittedly, I could be more efficient in my work habits). In theory, we can also get sabbaticals after six years, but I don't think they're awarded very often in practice.

Teaching is an odd profession. So much depends upon the variables -- the mix of students, the overall atmosphere, the workload. I'm glad that you seem to have found a place that works well for you.

Thanks again.

[Glenski]

Can't speak for other countries, but in Japan, you are very likely not to get tenure. Most contracts are for 3 years (well, 1 year renewable twice), and then you are dumped onto the streets to look for your next job.

Since you have taught in Asia, you may know some of the situation here. Students are not well-motivated. Their English ability is horribly low. You may find yourself teaching a lot of oral communication courses, which means a lot of work to get pairs or small groups together in classes of 50-100 students. The homework will still be there if you get writing classes, but the level of work will be much lower and harder to grade (example: ever try to wade your way through something that was written solely off translation software?)

Depending on where you "worked in Asia" and how, you may not even be qualified to teach in a Japanese university with a doctorate. Could you clarify your work history a little more?

Moreover, most universities here will require that you apply 6-12 months in advance of the April starting date, so you are approaching the end of that period. And, some applications will have to be filled out in Japanese, and you will often have to give your interview in Japanese. Competition is very high here, too, with 20-100 applicants for every uni job.

[Sherri]

Have you considered any of the teach abroad opportunities through the college system? I work at a community college and we have agreements with colleges in other countries which allows faculty exchanges. There is also Peace Corps. They have a pretty good package. You might be able to keep your job and still get the chance to teach in another country. Ask around your college especially the people who deal with study abroad and international education, they might have some ideas for you.

Best
Sherri

[Flanagan]

Hi,

Thanks once more for these responses. They are helpful to me.

I've heard about the three-year limit on Japanese university jobs. My degrees are primarily in literature, though I have some TEFL coursework and a certificate. Let's see . . . I taught at a couple of different language schools in the past, and I taught at a Korean university before. I found the latter experience to be rewarding in terms of savings opportunities but not really in terms of overall job satisfaction. I didn't feel that we had an especially well-run program.

Looking into exchanges through my college is a good idea. We have some opportunities like that, but they're not easy to get. It's definitely worth looking into these possibilities more carefully, since a short-term opportunity (a year or so) might help satisfy some of my recently neglected wanderlust while giving me an opportunity to think about long-term options.

Thanks again for your comments.

Flanagan

[Sherri]

This organization has posters up around our campus...

http://www.ciee.org/teach.aspx

I don't know how good it is though but there are lots of choices.

Sherri

[Glenski]

Flanagan,
Thanks for answering about your work history. With only conversation schools in Japan as your experience here, I doubt whether you will be considered eligible for Japanese universities full-time. Perhaps there will be the odd exception, but that's all from my experience.

Part-time work is different, but that doesn't provide visa sponsorship.

[Miyazaki]

[Glenski]

Miyazaki wrote:

[Miyazaki]

Glenski:

I don't like you.

I don't like your tone.

And I don't like the information you provide on this forum because it's wrong.

[Flanagan]

Hi,

Guys, guys -- let's be friends here. One reason that I'm not thrilled with my current job is all of the bickering that goes on more often than not brought on by email.

Mostly, I'm just gathering a sense of the options and people's experiences -- colleges in Singapore, hospitality programs in Switzerland, universities in Ecuador. I see ads, but I'd like to know how people have fared in those kinds of positions.

In any case, right now I'm at the preliminary stages of my search. If I do make a move, it won't be for at least a year -- probably longer.

Thanks for your help. Taken together, your responses give me a clearer overall picture of the situation in Japan.

Flanagan